The Hesitant Acceptance
by unusualauthor
Summary: If the gang ever got together, post-Orphan prophecy, on Earth (and two of the characters harbored a mutual attraction for one another), this could possibly be a transcript of the events that might transpire. Told through Vanille's POV. Lanille pairing


**A/N:** Hello readers! This is my second fanfic since coming off of a five or six year hiatus. I wrote a Fang x Lightning story a few months ago and wanted to continue writing Final Fantasy 13 stories. I was in the middle of a two-chapter story centered on Fang and Vanille. But I developed writer's block for reasons inexplicable until I had an epiphany: Fang and Vanille, as an item, is so canon, it's hard for me to make a fanfic about it, because there's nothing "fictional" about it. They're together. Square Enix knew what they were doing. Us fans ate it up. I finally finished the game. And, good lord, they should've just called the game "Awesomeness-Induced-Nosebleed-Time," or something along those lines. I swear, I could hardly restrain myself. I had a few nosebleeds throughout the course of the game. But I played on!

So in order to restore my motivation to write, I've decided to pair up Vanille and Lightning, for the sake of variety. We'll see how this one turns out. Good luck to me.

The last section of the Author's Note is usually where I post the legalities. I don't own Final Fantasy 13, nor am I associated in any way with Square Enix (though I wish I could be). I integrated some song lyrics into the story and the song meaning I used as the plot. I lack original ideas sometimes. Don't judge me.

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><p>All my friends, they're different people—and we don't get to see each other often enough. Not as the entire group, anyways. Minus Fang, I've mostly kept in touch with Sazh and Serah. Sazh and I grab some coffee or I meet him and his son, Dajh, at the park, once in a while. And ever since Serah and Snow finally got married, she and I only get together for lunch or something whenever she can schedule in some free time away from being a good wife.<p>

I hear Hope is at Bodhum University now and that he goes back home to Palumpolum every weekend to visit his father. Fang hung out with him a few months ago; he's quite the lady's man, she says, with excellent grades. I never expected less from him.

I haven't heard from Lightning in forever. Aside from her own sister, only Sazh has really had any communication or interaction with her. Fang says she texts her every so often just to bug her. Their conversations are short, she says, but meaningful, she always adds. After we saved the world from that crazy Fal'Cie prophecy, we all went our separate ways. But we all promised to stay in touch. I made them all pinky-promise me that we would all be friends forever. That's probably why I decided to have this get-together tonight—to test them; see if we all really are "BFFs."

There was a brutish knock on the front door. "Vanille," a voice grunted, "Open up." It ordered, not even waiting for a reply.

It's Fang. She knows I'm home and that I'll answer the door, but she doesn't have to rush me. She's so impatient, and most likely, excited about tonight. I'm going to run to the door before she gets legitimately mad. I opened the door and the first words out of her mouth were anything but a proper greeting.

"Is that what you're going to wear?" My longest withstanding friend asked me, shamelessly.

I felt a surge of desperation tingle all the way up from my toes to the top of my scalp. "Noooooo!" I exasperated. "I need your help." I turned back around and scurried back to my bedroom without waiting for her. We were officially on a time crunch. If Fang and I wanted to be on time to dinner, we would need to be out the front door in fifteen minutes. Luckily, I had my hair done already, but I was at a loss of decision-making skills as to what to wear for the evening; so I frantically texted Fang to come over and help me choose an outfit. Truth be told, I'm usually fashionably late to everything. Actually, I'm just always late; there is no classiness to it. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to leave my place on time to arrive anywhere within an acceptable time-frame. If I'm ten minutes late, I'm early. I've been working on it though. The earliest I've ever arrived anywhere I was only five minutes late. It was for Fang's birthday dinner a few weeks ago. We were both proud of me.

Tonight is extremely important for me to be on-time, _on-time_. The whole gang is getting together tonight. It took a few weeks to get ahold of everyone and coordinate a suitable date and time, but I did it. All seven of us are going out tonight as a crew, like old times. And since I initiated this group date, I see it only fitting that I be the first to arrive. I even snagged a reservation at a popular restaurant downtown to celebrate this momentous reunion. And after dinner, we're going to hit-up the city's newest and hottest dance club. I did not expect anyone to agree to that idea at all. I jokingly proposed it to Serah when I contacted her, because I knew it would be a hopeless cause if I had actually wanted to do that—and she ate it up. She even texted everyone on her own accord to solidify it. So a-dancing we will go.

I started throwing all my clothes out of my closet. I knew I had a nice top hiding somewhere in my endless wardrobe. I bought it fairly recently; it's super versatile and simplistic. It would be perfectly acceptable for tonight's occasion. I just couldn't, for the life of me, find it.

"Found it." Fang's voice muttered from behind me.

I turned around, excitedly. And like the reliable friend she is, there was the blouse I was looking for, like she had read my mind. "Thanks!" I quickly glomped her. I snatched the top out of her hands and ran for the bathroom to change. I locked the door and realized that I—

"Forgot your pants." There was a muffled voice coming from the other side.

I opened the door so quickly and grabbed the slacks from Fang's hands, it was like a magic trick. I changed so fast, I surprised even myself. I checked my hair and makeup real quick then burst out the door. "C'mon!" I ran past Fang, who had barely sat down on my bed to wait for me. I grabbed my ID and some cash, fumbled for my car keys, and dashed toward the door to the garage. I opened it and waited at the threshold for Fang to hurry and catch up. She sauntered through the door with a smug face, knowing that it would make me antsy. "I'm driving." I locked the door hurriedly and unlocked the car. Etro, help Fang had she parked her airbike in the center of the driveway, like she normally does. There's plenty of room on the side of the driveway for her so she doesn't block my way out of the garage, but she knows just how to push my buttons.

"I parked on the side this time." Fang smoldered. She was patting herself on the back, mentally; I could see it on her face. She knew I would appreciate some small act of consideration tonight. And me with my tardy tendencies, this was the perfect moment to be a decent human being. This is why she's my best friend.

"Yay!" I jumped into the car with eagerness. I started up my vehicle; Fang reached over to my side and pressed the main button on my garage door opener. Of course, in my excitement, I would've reversed right through the dang thing. "Heh." I threw her a guilty smile.

The restaurant was only a few miles away. We had left the house on time, but I wanted to arrive early so I can make sure our table is ready. There was no traffic on the way—a sign that this evening would surely go well. I opted for valet parking; Fang concurred. We tipped the attendant handsomely and made our way inside. The hostess was very courteous. She even hooked us up with a spot in the coveted patio area. I made a mental note to write a letter of commendation to the general manager later this week.

The front-of-house staff let Fang and I leave the table unattended so we could wait outside for the rest of our party. We would only have to wait about five to ten minutes. Both of us hovered around the front entrance. I checked my phone for any calls or texts from the others; Fang did the same. There were no new notifications for either of us. That was a good sign. That means, hopefully, everybody would show up on time. Fang and I started chatting about the evening ahead. There was an elation building about the reunion. The last time all seven of us were together, it was for Snow and Serah's wedding almost a year ago. It's a shame how life keeps us too busy sometimes.

"Hey," Fang motioned in the direction behind me, "there's your girl."

I felt hot. All the blood in my body rushed unabashedly up to my face. "Shh!" I scolded Fang. I looked down to hide my embarrassment. I quickly brushed a strand of hair out of my face, took in a sharp breath, and turned around. Lightning was approaching. We waited for her to notice us after she maneuvered her car keys into her pocket. The moment she looked up, she saw us. I saw a corner of her mouth ever-so-slightly rise into a smirk. She was happy to see us, as we were to see her.

"Hi, guys." She greeted me with a small hug (I froze), "Been a while." She happily clasped hands with Fang in a strong handshake. Small talk had barely begun between her and Fang when I caught sight of Hope. He was hopping out of a taxi. Immediately, he spotted us. He graciously paid his fare and ran over to us.

Such a fine man he is turning out to be. Looks just like his mother. Smart like his father. She would be proud. He definitely takes after her when it comes to socializing. He's so sprightly and genuine. Loves Lightning to death. And we all know she has a soft spot for him, despite her trying to hide it. He's the little brother she never had—probably never wanted, but still nice to have.

He and Lightning immediately started catching up. Her back was turned to me. She was wearing a blouse that hung low at the collar in the back. Her rippling rhomboid muscles were proudly displayed. Sweet Orphan, she must be able to do a hundred pull-ups. The muscle definition is mesmerizing. I gotta look away. I walked over to Fang. She gives me this obnoxious grin. I should've chose to stare at the ground instead.

"Guys!" An ecstatic voice resounded from down the street. We looked over in that direction and we could see Snow frantically waving his arms at us. Serah and Sazh were with him. A delighted smile arose on Serah's face. She broke away from her husband and ran up to her sister. Lightning caught her in a warm hug. They must not have seen each other lately.

Snow and Sazh caught up and the whole group was finally, physically, together again. "How's it going, girl?" Sazh laughed heartily. I hugged him tightly. He was my buddy. Such a good role model.

"Who's taking care of Dajh tonight?" I asked him.

"His grandma is watching him for the night. I ran into these two," he pointed to the married couple, "on the train ride here."

"It was great!" Serah chimed in, "We got to catch up on the way here." She smiled brightly.

Everyone gave a round of hugs to each other before we made our way inside. The nice hostess walked us to our table. The patio area was massive; people frequently rented it out for events and parties. Our table faced westward, the sun already starting to set and casting shadows upon it, the beach in the distance as our backdrop.

Seats were chosen. I instinctively took the seat next to Fang. I saw Hope sit at the head of the table; Sazh at the opposite end. There were three seats across from me, Serah and Snow took two of them. I didn't see Lightning anywhere nearby Serah, I figured she would sit next to her. There was a scraping of a chair to my left. I froze again. I knew where Lightning was now. I glanced over discreetly and saw her calmly scoot in closer to the table. She reached for her napkin.

I sat down heavily on the furthest edge away from her. I reached for my napkin, as well. I set it in my lap and fiddled around with it. My hands unconsciously started wrinkling it. I felt a nudge in my side. I turned my head, it was Fang. She smiled at me lightly and whispered, "Stop being so tense." I grimaced. She shook her head with amusement.

Hope piped up and started talking to Sazh across the table. Serah captured Fang's attention and, Snow joining in, the three started a conversation. And by process of elimination, that left me to converse with Lightning—more accurately, the lack thereof. I fiddled with the napkin some more. I don't know how long I tried to seem too preoccupied to talk, but, eventually, I felt a comforting pat on my knee. Fang was subtly trying to encourage me. I didn't want to look up from the most interesting napkin in the world.

"So, Light, did you know Vanille got a new job?" Fang looked over my blushing head to Lightning.

"No, I didn't. That's great. Tell me about it." She looked at me with an interested smile.

I shot a look at Fang. She was looking so smug. I wanted to die. She nodded at me, reminding me that I had a conversation to participate in. I squinted my eyes at her. I would kill her later. I sent telepathic waves of hatred at her.

"Oh yeah," I turned back to Lightning quickly, "it's a good setup. I get to work from home most days."

I was surprised. Lightning was genuinely into what I had to share. We got our drink orders in, and served, almost instantaneously. Fang decided to be that person and ordered some alcohol for everyone. "Here ya go." She slid over two shots to me and Light, "Got you guys the good stuff. Cheers."

"Cheers!" Everybody else chimed.

I looked at my shot with uneasiness. Fang was cruel. Alcohol wouldn't help me with anything but make a fool out of myself.

Dafuq? Lightning just downed hers. I've never seen her drink before. Oh, my stars. Now she's looking at me. I don't want to drink mine. Nothing ever ends well with alcohol. I set my glass down.

"It's okay, Vanille." Lightning said. "Just do one for the team. We're together again, let's celebrate."

"Yeah, 'Nille." Fang slapped a hand on my shoulder, way too hard, "I'll only order this one round, promise." She grinned, devilishly.

Lightning reached over for my glass. She held it up, expectantly. A small, reassuring smile on her lips convinced me to partake. I threw my head back and let the entire shot burn down my esophagus. I coughed a few times. Fang ordered—most likely—the strongest stuff from the bar. That imp. It didn't take long before I started feeling some of the effects from the alcohol. I'm a lush, I admit it. But I know my limits. If Fang tries to give me any more liquor, I will punch her in the face in front of everyone, no regrets.

"So," Lightning asked me, "what do you do for your new job?"

I love my new job. It's the best. I could talk about it all day. I don't know if it's due to the alcohol, but I could talk anyone's ear off about it. Lightning was willing to listen, so I started from the beginning. She was fascinated. Her face was a little flush—must be the shot. I could tell that she was enjoying listening to me. Then I said something that brought up an old memory for her.

She recalled the time, back in Gran Pulse, when I went into the woods to the river to take a bath, despite Lightning's advice that I don't go alone, and I got jumped by a small pack of Gorgonospids. I ran back—and, actually, right through—camp so fast, clutching my clothes, buck naked, the Gorgs nipping at my heels. They overturned the boiling pot of soup we had going over the fire-pit. It nearly spilled all over poor Hope. I kept running, trying to make my escape. I was so busy concentrating on my survival, that I almost didn't hear the gunshot ring out from behind me. I looked back and saw a fallen Gorg; there were two more coming after me, Lightning was in front of Fang, both of them dashing after me.

"Vanille! Duck!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I dropped to the ground and slid to a stop. "Good girl." Fang praised as she jumped over me. She had caught up to, and swung one of the Gorgs off its feet and over me just as soon as I had dropped. Before the creature could recover from its stagger, Fang had dealt a kill-shot straight through its heart with her spear.

I heard a swing of a blade then a painful cry. The remaining Gorgonospid fell to the ground, convulsing violently. Lightning had sliced a clean line across the monster's throat. A compassionate, yet stoic soul, Lightning placed a well-aimed bullet into the Gorg's skull.

Fang immediately rushed to my side. She picked up the animal fur that I tie around my waist and she placed it over me. I took it with urgency and covered up as much surface area of myself that I could. She stood so to block me from the view of the others. From the ground I saw Lightning curtly turn away and quickly head back to the camp. I got dressed as fast as I could. I knew that everyone had caught a glimpse of my pale butt.

Fang and I came back to the campsite to help clean up the mess. Everybody was silent. And then Hope snickered. Sazh smacked him. They had seen too much. My ass would never hear the end of this, literally. Fang patted my shoulder. She was silently letting me know that no one would let me live this down.

"I told you so." Lightning laughed at the recollection.

Nobody likes to hear 'I told you so.' Fang tells that to me all the time. I hate being proved wrong. But I laughed with Lightning. I laughed at my bad choices that one day. I laughed that I nearly died. I was having fun laughing—with Lightning. We talked all throughout dinner. Everybody was having a good time. There was laughter buzzing amongst the entire gang. I bet we all would've stayed there all night had we not had plans to go to the club afterwards.

We all paid our bill, left one large, grandiose tip for our waiter, and made our leave. The club wasn't a far distance away so we all agreed to walk there. Lightning fell into stride next to me, not wasting any time to continue our conversation. I asked her about how her life is going—naturally, she talked about her job. She was working for a private military now, as a contractor, and they treat her much better than the Guardian Corps did. Her schedule is more flexible during times of peace, so now she's able to spend more time with Serah. They hang out way more now, even though Serah is married and tied-down. Both of us lamented on how the whole gang should have hung out way before tonight. Serah was always bugging about the rest of us and how much better it would be if we all lived next door to each other. It's funny, because Fang always spoke of the same thing.

Then Lightning reached over and nudged me. "You should've texted me or something." She said. The corner of my mouth twitched; it wanted to speak, but I stopped it, for fear of saying something stupidly awkward. Instead I just smiled, acknowledging her.

Up ahead, we saw a big group of people packed into a makeshift line. At the front of that line were two bouncers, slowly letting people in. Our group stopped. It was easy to tell that the establishment wouldn't be able to accommodate the sheer number of antsy patrons standing outside. We all looked to each other, unsure.

"What are we waiting for, guys?" Fang stepped in between Lightning and I, resting her arms across our shoulders, "Lebreau is the head bartender here. I asked her to hook us up." She took her arm off of Lightning and reached into her pocket. She leaned more of her weight onto me as she sent a text to Lebreau. "Give it a minute." She squeezed my shoulders, playfully.

I saw everybody else look around, most likely, anxious of whether the 'hook-up' Fang had arranged would really follow through with such a big crowd already waiting to get in. I didn't doubt Fang at all. I relaxed my stance and leaned some of my own weight back against her. I looked over to Lightning, intending to try and converse with her some more, but I heard Lebreau's voice call over to us.

"Guys!" Snow's old N.O.R.A. buddy waved at us from behind the bouncers. We saw her look up to one of them and point in our direction. The bouncer obliged her and motioned for us to enter. He held the door open for us, smiling politely. Hope was the first to enter. He stopped as soon as he stepped over the threshold. I could tell that this was his first time being out on the town during the weekend nightlife. Snow came up behind him and guided him forward. He put the boy in a headlock. I couldn't hear what Snow was telling him, but I'm sure it was something along the lines of: look like you own the place and don't act like such a kid.

We all stopped off to the side, next to the coat room. "Alright, guys, I'll find us a table." Sazh spoke as loud as he could. He motioned his arms in a general direction behind him. We all nodded. I saw Hope half-listening as he glanced sideways. A big group of young women walked by and he discreetly followed them with his gaze. Snow elbowed him, causing him to blush wildly. I giggled. He heard me and blushed further.

Lebreau came up to us. She gave each of us a big, excited hug. "Thanks for getting us in!" Fang squeezed her arm. "No problem!" Lebreau grinned. "C'mon, let me get you guys some drinks." She grabbed Fang by the wrist.

I narrowed my eyes. Fang shot me a guilty smile. Her promise of no more alcohol for the rest of the night was in exception of completely, absolutely free drinks. Fang hurried out of my sight before I had a chance to contemplate strangling her. Sazh started walking off to go find a table. We all followed suit. We had scoured approximately half of the seating area before we had found a table big enough to seat all of us. We wouldn't have gotten a table at all had Hope not spotted it and, pretty much, jumped on it to dibs it. He earned us some dirty looks from a group of young college guys, who were totally butt-hurt that we had snagged the table before they did. Snow ruffled Hope's hair and praised him, and we saw the other group disappear into the crowd.

We had barely sat down when Fang had made her way back to us. She was holding three shot glasses in her hands. A waitress had accompanied her with the remainder number of shots. Fang handed her a nice tip and looked back to us with bright eyes. "Alrighty, guys. Bottoms up!"

I didn't reach for one. Everybody eyed me. Fang called me out, "C'mon, 'Nille. We're a team here." She grinned. I heard everyone else voice their agreement. I felt like such a party-pooper as everyone watched me, encouragingly. But I didn't want to risk getting—even just the slightest bit tipsy—and making a fool out of myself in front of Lightning. The others, too, but Lightning the most.

Lightning caught my eye. She held her shot glass in front of her, sort of, apprehensively. She studied its contents, probably confirming it wasn't drugged. "No, it's not drugged, guys." Fang seemed to have read Light's mind. Lightning looked to me once again. And with hesitant acceptance, she smiled softly. My resolve melted, I followed her lead. I brought the glass to my lips; I saw everyone do the same. All seven of us downed our shots. I shook off the burning sensation in my throat. I could feel my face heating up. I hate alcohol, from now on and forever.

Serah snatched my hand. Out of all of us, she was definitely the one that was most in the spirit of tonight. "Let's go dance!" She practically dragged me toward the dance floor. I tuned my ears in to the environment. I concentrated for a few seconds and realized that the DJ was playing one of my jams. Serah squealed, it was hers, too. We bounced excitedly toward the center of the dance floor.

We danced together for a few songs, completely enjoying ourselves. Once we heard a song that we could live without, we made our way back to the table. We were thirsty. Poor Serah was already breaking a sweat. Fang, Lightning, and Sazh were there. I don't think Sazh intended to leave the table; he wasn't the dancing type, so he was probably going to hold our table for us the whole time. He was talking to a guy I'd never seen before though. From the looks of it, they seemed to be old friends. Sazh cut into the conversation to quickly introduce Serah and me to the guy—whose name I don't remember, I'm such a horrible person when it comes to names.

Serah sat next to her sister. There was a round of water glasses sitting in the center of the table. She and I ravenously reached for them. I chatted with Fang for a bit. She hadn't been on the dance floor yet, she had gone back to the bar to catch up with Lebreau a bit. I could hear Serah talking with Lightning. Apparently, Light had been with Sazh the whole time. The two were conversing until Sazh's old friend came up randomly and had remained for the past ten or fifteen minutes. From what she could pick up, they were classmates back in high school and had gone their separate ways after graduation. So they had a lot of catching up to do.

"Let's go back out to the dance floor." Serah looked to me, her energy had returned to her. "C'mon, Claire!" She tugged at her sister's arm.

"No, no, it's okay." Lightning waved her away, "I'll just stay here with Sazh."

Serah pouted, "Oh, c'mon, Light. Sazh isn't even paying attention to you. Don't sit here, bored." She tugged at her siter's arm again.

"I'm fine, really."

"Yeah, Light." Fang chimed in. "Don't be a party-pooper. We're all going out there with ya."

"I don't dance."

We all knew that. But that was beside the point. We were here as a team, so we were going to have fun as a team. They all forced me to drink. So I was going to help force her to accompany us to the dance floor. We tried to coerce her a few more times. She stubbornly refused. Before the mood had a chance to turn sour, we let her be. Serah genuinely extended the invitation that she could join us at any time. Lightning smiled politely, and waved us off. Serah led the way. She reached and grabbed my hand as we entered the throng of people at the edge of the dance floor. I instinctively extended my hand behind me for Fang to hold. My offered hand remained empty. I looked back, and Fang wasn't there, nowhere in immediate sight. Serah had not looked back, she kept trudging ahead. I hesitantly followed.

"Where did Fang go?" Serah looked over my shoulder. I shrugged a big 'I don't know.' She shrugged in response. We slowly joined the dancing crowd. The song playing wasn't one of our favorites, but it was still enjoyable. As I moved to the rhythm, I swore I saw a glimpse of Hope a short distance away. He was dancing with a young woman, most likely one of the girls we saw when we first entered the club. Through the crowd, Snow broke through. He had a big goofy grin on his face. We could tell that he had played wingman and helped Hope score a dance with the girl. Snow walked up to his wife and wrapped her in a protective hug. "May I have this dance?" He gave her his signature toothy smile. She happily obliged and they immediately broke out into a dance routine that they had obviously choreographed. It was something along the lines of The Robot and, ohmyEtro, they're twerking-ish….horribly. I'm going to leave them to that. Bless their souls—their excessively adorable, dorky souls.

I made my way in a random direction. I have no trouble dancing by myself. The song that was now playing was definitely one of my favorites. My body naturally started to appreciate appropriately. I had danced through more than half of the song without any interruptions from fellow club-goers bumping into me or random creepers trying to dance up on me. I reveled in the joy of this great song, completely free to express my love for it through dance.

And all in slow motion, Lightning appeared before me. I stopped dancing—immediately. I was in the epicenter of the entire dance floor; I know she had just pushed her way through all those layers of people. She scratched her head and smiled sheepishly. I took a step toward her and leaned in next to her ear, "I thought you didn't dance?" I teased.

I turned the side of my head toward her, "Fang made me." Lightning spoke loudly into my ear. We could barely hear each other over the pounding music. Talking/yelling was too big an inconvenience. I smiled at her. I held out my hand. She smiled back and took it. I felt a spark shoot straight down my arm and to the center of my chest. I believe my heart stopped for a split second.

Despite how reserved and nervous I had been around her the entire night, I took the lead, happily. I started with an easy two-step move that she carefully mimicked. I smiled at her and nodded eagerly. She was receptive to my encouragement; she progressively grew more comfortable and loosened up. I added some arms to our two-step; she became more open with her movements. She looked at me. I saw a little spark of fun twinkle in her eyes. She became bold and just let herself move naturally to the beat and rhythm. I admired her spunk. I laughed, I was so happy. I grabbed her hand and set her into a spin. She happily obliged. Good gods, I'm having the time of my life.

The next song faded in seamlessly. It was another hit. My body was completely enthralled. I jumped a few times to the beat, letting the music fill me, like a drink being poured into a cup. Gentle hands on my hips brought me back down to earth. She was holding me. She gave me a charming smile then turned me around. And like Snow and Serah, we broke into a dance routine that people would swear we had practiced beforehand. She was complementing my every move and keeping up with me. The crowd around us pulsed. The gentleman next to me unknowingly pushed me backwards. Another body caught my balance. I knew who it was. I looked over my shoulder, and there she was smiling at me. Lightning gently grabbed my hips again. I felt that same spark again, this time it traveled up my spine then back down to my feet. She took the lead this time. She gently spun me back around to face her. Before I had a chance to feel awkward, she pulled me close to her. Super close. So close. Her breath smelled like the shot we just took. I swear, everyone and everything stopped moving. My breath hitched and the world froze.

She gave me a look. I looked back at her, carefully. She was studying me. She was seeing something in me that, probably, I didn't even know was there. She put my arms around her neck, and hers around my waist. It was like she wanted us to….WE WERE SLOW-DANCING! It was romantic. I wanted to die. She held me so close, so securely. I knew she felt the same as me, with no intention of letting go. Who knows how long we danced like that.

But, eventually, I had to pee. I excused myself. Lightning said she would wait for me back at the table. I ran in as straight of a line as I could to the restroom. There was no line, thank goodness. I took my time because I wanted the feelings of ecstasy to leave my body. I had never felt so thrilled in my life. I didn't want to leave, I wanted tonight to last forever. Because I didn't know what the future holds—or more accurately, if Lightning would be in it. Who knows when all of us would get together again, or if I could see her again, just us, maybe…...I wish. My eyes glazed over as I spaced out into a pity-induced stupor. My eyes found the mirror that was mounted above the sink I was using. I stared into my own eyes. I had never felt so bummed in my life. Pity party time.

I pitied myself a bit more. Thinking about how much I probably won't be seeing Lightning after tonight. There was nothing more satisfying than the feeling that comes with having close, intimate contact with another human being. I felt that we had made a connection—probably just physical—but a strong one, nonetheless. And ,in this day and age, most likely nothing will blossom from it. Who am I to try and change cultural norms? I'm just one person, just me. I'm not brave enough to put myself out there. Fang taught me to just enjoy the moment. It's how I kept myself from falling into Cieth-ness back when we had that journey to save Cocoon. 'Here and now,' that's what she always tells me. And I actually learned how to do it. I learned how to live. I'm just going to enjoy what's left of the night. I might as well.

I decided to stop hogging the mirror. I left the restroom and headed back to the table. Everyone was already there.I moved in next to Lightning. "I thought you didn't dance?" I grinned stupidly. She smiled, shyly and amused. 'I don't.' She replied, coyly. If she said anything after that, I'll never know. I was too busy just looking at her. And the best part: she never broke eye contact.

"Alright, guys. Serah and I are gonna head out now." Snow's voice broke through my concentration. I heard mumbles of agreement from everyone else. I couldn't stop myself in time, I pouted. In the corner of my eye, I saw Fang staring at me. _Don't judge me_, I thought to myself. But dammit, I wasn't ready for this night to end, like, ever. I was about to resign and let myself take leave with everyone else; perhaps, go home and mope. I figure I wouldn't be seeing Lightning again for a while. All good things have to come to an end, right? Oh, well…

I was busy making sad-eyes at the ground when, all of a sudden, somebody grabbed me around my shoulders. I looked up to be met by that super familiar, cocky, signature grin of Fang's. She looked flushed. I could tell she had a great time. "Hey, Hope and I are going to beat the crowd getting out of here. We're gonna catch a cab back to your place and I'm gonna take him back to his dad's house." She leaned a little closer to me, knowingly, "Don't worry about rushing to get home or anything. I got my keys." She winked at me.

Truthfully, I had no idea what she was trying to hint to me. I can be dense sometimes. I blame it on my pink hair—though I know that probably has nothing to do with it. Everyone was starting to say goodbye to each other. I figured I would say bye to Serah first, Snow looked super tired and like he wanted to get home as soon as possible. I guess I would walk them and Sazh to the train station, just because.

A polite shoulder nudged into mine, "Hey," it was Lightning, "walk me to my car?" Of course, I immediately obliged. Whenever she speaks to me, I feel like everything under the sun, holy and good, is smiling upon me; gracing me with another moment to spend with such a lovely person—that Etro probably took it upon herself to carve and mold such a marvelous human being. Ohmygawsh, I'm gushing. Eww.

Fang and Hope quickly said their goodbyes and passed around some hugs, then made for the exit. Closing time would be soon, we had all been unaware of just how fast time passes when having fun. Serah clung to her sister, as if, they would never see each other again. Very rare were moments seen of Lightning showing tenderness. Only if Serah was around would an observer stand a small chance of catching a glimpse of such. Sights like this always made me smile—it was so sweet. Sazh forced me into a surprise hug. "Don't be a stranger, ya hear?" He told me. He gave me a noogie. I'm not sure how I feel about that. But it's Sazh. So it's okay.

"Yeah," Snow piped up in agreement, "you've had our numbers for forever. Even if you call just to say hi-we miss ya, Van." He ruffled my hair. "Yeah." Sazh emphasized. He still had a hold of me, he gave me another squeezing hug.

Serah pulled me away from Sazh. She hugged me vibrantly. We expressed how much fun tonight was and how much we would miss each other. Before I could disconnect from her, she pulled me back into the hug. "Make sure Claire gets home safe, 'kay?" She pulled back and smiled at me.

It was very obvious Lightning hadn't gotten herself drunk or anything; and I would be afraid for anyone that would try to mug her on the street or something. The lady could take care of herself. But who am I to deny a younger sister's wish? "Sure thing." I replied.

"Thanks." Serah flashed me a quick wink. I thought nothing of it. The girl was always acting adorable.

We all pushed our way to the exit. A lot of other people had the same idea we did and were trying to beat the rush that would start after closing time. After we got outside, Snow, Serah, and Sazh waved goodbye. The train station was a few blocks away. I looked around. Lightning was right beside me. She hooked the corner of her mouth into a tiny smile. Her head motioned in the opposite direction, toward where she had parked her car. I acknowledged and fell into line behind her as she started cutting us a path through the crowd. I remember she had parked near the restaurant where we ate. The crowd thinned out exponentially after a block or so. People were bombarding the valet line, ready to go home. Good thing we all decided not to park there. It was a mostly comfortable silent walk back toward the restaurant. Silly me would've walked right past the valet had my brain not remembered they held the keys to my own car. I stopped walking. Lightning noticed and stopped, too, and turned to me. "I parked valet." I smiled shyly.

I kind of expected Lightning to depart on her own from here, I didn't want to keep her while I wait for my car. Even though Serah request I make sure she gets home safe, she and the whole world knows Light could make it home with both arms tied behind her back. Blindfolded. Whilst walking backwards. In the snow. Surrounded by wolves. And so on.

I didn't really know what else to do. Lightning wasn't moving. I feigned interest in the flower patch next to the valet podium. I would wait a few seconds, then bid her farewell. I looked back to her. She looked like she was about to speak, probably to say bye. I was about to speak, too. This would be awkward.

"Umm." Lightning broke the silence first. She shifted, unevenly. I sensed an awkward aura between us. I started to feel uneasy. I wonder what she was going to say?

"Umm." Lightning repeated. She grew tense. I remained silent, to be polite. "Do…." She trailed off, "Do you…." She cleared her throat, "want to come back to my place?"

_Well, yeah. _Serah did ask me to escort her home. And if Lightning, too, asked, it would be my pleasure and duty to do so, as a friend. But then something turned on in the back of my mind. Usually when asked to come back to someone's place after a thrilling night out, that would indicate a continuation of the fun…in the form of…

And then it all clicked.

That's what Fang meant. That's what Serah must've been insinuating.

Sex.

They were encouraging me to sleep with Lightning! My friend—OUR friend! Those heathens, what kind of person do they think I am?! Wait, Light is the one inviting me over—what kind of person does SHE think I am?!

"Sure." I answered, nonchalantly.

I'm a whore.

Lightning heaved a sigh of relief. She relaxed a bit. Briefly, she described the area where she parked and where she lives. We would wait for the valet to bring my car around and she would run ahead to her car, which was a little ways up the street, and I would follow her back to her house. Valet staff was on their game tonight. My car showed up almost immediately. Lightning winked at me and ran off toward her car. I had never tipped any person so highly before. The young man who had brought my car beamed ecstatically. He thanked me a thousand times as he held the driver-side door open for me and bowed after he closed it. I told him to have a good night and patted his hand. He waved me off as I made haste onto the main street. A few hundred feet later, there was the sight of Lightning's car. She threw her arm out the window, waved, and wasted no time pulling out in front of me.

The excitement I contained was a mixture of elation and nervousness. Whatever was about to unfold between Lightning and I scared me crapless. I'm sure my body would thoroughly enjoy the physical release of the culmination of desire that had, apparently, been building throughout the night. But isn't this how friendships are ruined? Friends sleeping with friends? Friends who save the world together surely shouldn't sleep with each other. That's a rule I just made up.

Ah! We're here already?! Jeez, I talk to myself too much. Whatever. Moment of truth. Park the car. Get out now. I grabbed my comfy jacket that I always leave in the car, just in case. Why was I bringing it when I was going straight inside? Security. Emotional security, that's why.

I had parked on the street. Lightning was waiting for me at the head of her driveway. I scurried as fast as I could to her. She smiled. We walked to the front door and I stopped a few steps away, to give her space. She unlocked the door swiftly. Like a gentleman, she moved aside and gestured me to enter first. With fervent excitement, I shuffled in, immediately taken in awe at the beautiful home she kept. It was a small place, but the ceilings were vaulted and the floor plan was very open. I shamelessly nodded my head in approval. "Nice place." I admired.

"Thanks." Lightning accepted my compliment graciously. She locked the doors. "May I take your jacket?" She held her hands out. I didn't really want to, but I obliged. She is so polite. I watched her gently hang it on the coat rack. She then took off her own. She looks really good in the blouse she wore tonight-just P.S.

She offered me a tour. I eagerly accepted. It was such a quaint place; so pristine and organized. The kitchen was massive. I immediately noticed the fridge was the latest and greatest model. I love food. I bet there's a bunch of good stuff in there. The living space looked super comfortable. The feng-shui was on-point. The layout was super welcoming. I'm sure it was to host Serah and Snow whenever they visited. She briefly showed me the garage, which she had converted into her own personal gym. The second bedroom functioned as an office. It looked like she frequented this room the most. I saw multiple stacks of paperwork lying in wait. There was a good-sized backyard. It had a big patio that supported patio furniture and a grill. The grassy area was traced with herbs and flowers along the border.

She led me back inside and directed me to the very rear of the house. At the end of a short hallway was a set of double doors. She opened them to reveal a remarkable, panty-dropping (sorry, but it's true) master bedroom. Only in those brochures advertising paradise getaways do you see stunning bedrooms like this. The enormous bed looked super soft. I wanted to cannonball into it.

Lightning placed a soft hand on my back. "After you." She invited me in. I cautiously entered no further than the threshold. I moved aside so she could close the doors. At this moment, I, honestly, knew nothing of what I was supposed to do next. She was taking every measure to make me feel at home, but I wanted to be sure I didn't overstep any boundaries she may have set in her mind. We stood there for a minute, not saying a word. It was extremely awkward. I was tempted to straight-up ask what we should do next. I knew we were here to have sex, I just didn't know how to initiate it. Do we just jump at each other? Is there foreplay? I'll do whatever, as long as I don't come off as a slut.

The tension was broken. Lightning sensed the uneasiness. She reached and took my hand. "My bathroom is over there," she pointed to a door a few meters behind me, "if you need to use it."

I nodded, sheepishly. I made my way there with vigor. I made sure to close the door quickly, yet as quietly as possible. I stood there, clueless. Now what? I have to pee, I'm so nervous. Would it be offensive if I used her toilet? I weighed my options. I didn't want to hold it, I really had to go. Curses. I cracked the door open, but I didn't look out. "Light, can I use your restroom?" I winced. SO awkward.

"Yeah, sure." She chuckled, which I found adorable. I felt my face heat up with embarrassment.

I did my business and washed my hands in record speed. But now what? I looked in the wall-sized mirror above the sink. My clothes—they needed to go. Oh, Etro, this is it. I stiffly removed my blouse and slacks. I folded them and laid them on the counter. In an instant, I started shivering. I was only in my skivvies and my nerves were wracking uncontrollably. I had to actively prevent my mind from drawing up all the possible repercussions that could stem from tonight. If I allowed it, my imagination could consume me for hours. I rested my hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Moment of truth.

I stepped out. There standing at the foot of the bed, back to me, was the most GODDAMN SEXIEST WOMAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIIIIFFFFEEEE!

She stood there with a pensive stance. Her arms crossed and weight resting on her right leg. She seemed to be in thought. She, too, was only in her undergarments. Good, I wasn't the only one. Whoa, look at her ass. That's the reason I'm here tonight. This is why I was born. The grand scheme of my life has been cultivated and preened for this very night. No, not really. But her butt is that awesome.

I took a tentative step out of the bathroom. She heard me. The biggest, most genuine smile graced her face the moment she saw me. She locked eyes with me first before appreciating, with class, the sight of me in my entirety. Though I stood there, in all my vulnerable glory, I felt almost comfortable. I could see in the way that Lightning studied me, she did not consider me an object to be drank up with her eyes. "Vanille, you look great." The most caring smile and bright eyes-I'm sure no one else in the entire world has ever been lucky enough to see—met me.

As much as I wanted to, my feet would not move me forward. "You look great, too." Unconsciously, I scratched at the side of my head. I couldn't bring myself to look up from the floor either. I guess this all felt too good to be true, or something like that. I hoped to high heavens that she would save me from myself. I knew that the night would be at risk to be ruined if I didn't grow some (metaphorical) balls in the next few seconds. But I could not freaking move.

The sound of a pair of feet moving toward me was salvation to my ears. My hands were taken from my side and held in the softest of palms. "Are you okay?" Lightning gently squeezed my hands, "Is there something I can do?"

I shook my head furiously. The apprehension I portrayed was nothing of her doing; I was trying to unravel myself from my own mind and its precautious ways.

As I still fixated my gaze to the ground, Lightning comforted me. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you."

_Oh, but you could_. She could easily break my heart before this night is even over. But I know she won't. When she held me earlier, back at the club, on the dance floor, I knew she would never. "I just—" I hesitated, "I don't want to come off as easy." There. My fears. They're on the table now. Weight off my shoulders.

A soft chuckle, barely audible, with its breath, got lost in the hair at the top of my head. A gentle hand tucked under my chin and tenderly guided my gaze upwards. Her eyes commanded my attention; I didn't dawdle. Firmly, she said, "I never said you'd be easy." She cupped my face with her hands.

I was no trouble after that. I could see her desire was at its peak, and as was mine. No more waiting, it was time to act on it. Our lips met halfway, the intensity exponentially rising with every flutter. Carefully and gently, she pressed her body against mine, guiding us to the bed. With the utmost tenderness and consideration, she laid me down softly. The bed was as soft as I thought it would be; like a cloud, but better.

A set of hands made their way up from my hips. They stopped at the hem of my bra, asking for permission-which I granted with zest. I helped her remove the booby-barrier. My legs, like magnets, wrapped themselves around her waist, almost as if they had a mind of their own.

I don't remember much after that. Next thing I knew, it was morning. Our bodies were spooned, intertwined, and comfortable. I felt a breeze. I stole some of her share of the blankets to give extra insulation to my naked body. She snorted herself awake. So cute. She grumbled 'hey' and took some back.

I could see from the clock on her bedside table that it was nearly 10 a.m. I didn't really want to get up, but I figured I would; just in case my welcome had been overstayed. "Hey." She grunted, sleepily. She was the bigger spoon. She pulled me closer to her. "You want to help me make breakfast?"

"Yes!" I flailed. I was starving. And thirsty. Extremely thirsty. I turned to her with a big smile. Even with her eyes all bleary, she returned with a smile of her own.

She rolled over and rubbed her eyes. "I got some comfy clothes you can wear for now." She said through a yawn. "C'mon." She got up. This morning was chilly, but she strode naked across the room like it didn't bother her. That ass, man. There was a dresser next to the bathroom door. She rummaged through the drawers and pulled out a set of sweats and a t-shirt for each of us. She allowed me to use her bathroom; she went to go use the guest one.

I carefully made my way to the kitchen after I had cleaned up. Lightning hadn't finished yet, so I waited patiently for her on the couch in the living room. I only had to wait a few seconds. She appeared from the other side of the house. She shot me a charming smile and motioned for me to follow her to the kitchen.

She invited me to choose what I wanted from the fridge and left me to my own devices as she gathered up the kitchenware. I was in heaven. Her fridge was fully stocked with all of my favorite foods. I didn't know where to begin. I started to weigh all my options—the decisions were endless. I decided I wanted pancakes. "Good choice." She winked at me. I blushed.

She gathered and laid out the ingredients to make the batter. I started mixing it up as she set up the griddle. We were gonna go all out and have a breakfast fit for kings—she grabbed all the bacon she owned, basically. I gave her the batter that was ready to be thrown on the griddle. I found a pan and made known my intent to cook the bacon. She put up no resistance to that proposition.

We had a good system going. Breakfast would be done in no time. There was a moment where was neither pancake nor strip of bacon that needed to be flipped. Simultaneously, we leaned against the island counter behind us. I caught her gaze, and her, mine. Her smile made me gush. I had to look away. I giggled, from the depths of my heart, I felt warmth. Her smile widened, affectionately. My heart nearly exploded.

"You know," Lightning said, "I've been wanting to tell you since that day in the woods with the Gorgonospids-"

I looked at her expectantly.

"Nice ass." She shot me a cheeky grin.

This was, surely, the start of something great.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END!<strong>

Please leave a review, if you liked it. I do accept constructive criticism, as well. I'm always looking to improve.

I tried not to integrate too many of the lyrics from the song (points for you if you can name it) into the story. I felt it would make it too cliché and cheesy. Hopefully I executed it satisfactorily.

'K, bye.


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